US 4,129,917 A · Bridge structure

Abstract

A bridge which has a bridge deck constructed of corrugated checkered metal plate and which is supported by a plurality of side-by-side box beams carried by spaced apart beam supports. The box beams have upright sides which are connected to upper and lower chord plates all of which are constructed of corrugated plate having corrugations which run parallel to the length of the box beams and which have a large, e.g. 16 .times. 6 inch corrugation pitch and depth. The chord plates and sides are bolted together at spaced apart intervals. Thin walled shear plates are placed against the box beam sides and bolted to the corrugation troughs of the sides and they carry vertically acting shear loads while their connection to the box beams prevents them from buckling. A concrete layer is poured on top of the bridge deck so as to form a mechanical interlock between the concrete and the deck to thereby structurally integrate the concrete layer with the remainder of the bridge. A longitudinal camber can be incorporated in the box beam.

Claims53

Dependent claims

A box beam for use with bridge structures and the like comprising first and second, elongate, generally upright side walls;

first and second, elongate, generally horizontal upper and lower chord plates;
the walls and the chord plates being constructed of corrugated plate defined by a plurality of parallel corrugations extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beam over the longitudinal extent of the walls and the chord plates;
means attached to the side walls for carrying shear stresses applied to the side walls;
and means rigidly connecting respective edge portions of the walls and of the chord plates to each other so as to form a rigid, high strength box beam therewith.

1 more element

A long span bridge comprising in combination:

a plurality of side-by-side, generally parallel box beams, the box beams having transverse dimensions at least one of which does not substantially exceed about 8 feet and being further defined by generally upright, spaced apart box beam sides and generally parallel, upper and lower chord plates, proximate edge portions of the sides and the chord plates being rigidly secured to each other, the sides and the chord plates being constructed of relatively thin walled corrugated plate made of a corrosion resisting material, corrugations of the plate having a generally trapezoidal cross-section and being arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beams, the corrugations further having a pitch of at least about 16 inches and a depth of at least about 5 inches;
means for rigidly securing the box beams to each other;
a relatively thin shear plate attached to each box beam side, the shear plates being substantially flat and placed against the corresponding box beam sides so as to contact corrugation troughs of the side protruding towards the shear plate;
means for rigidly securing the shear plates to at least some of the corrugation troughs over substantially the full height of the box beam sides to rigidify the shear plates and to prevent their buckling when subjected to vertically acting shear loads;
a bridge deck constructed of corrugated plate carried by the box beams, the corrugations of the deck being oriented transversely to the corrugations of the chord plates;
and a road bed placed on top of and carried by the bridge deck.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bridge structure

Life of this patent

Bridge structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims53